Donald Trump supports potential Stephen A. Smith run for president: 'I've been pretty good at picking people'

As speculation swirls around a potential 2028 presidential run, Stephen A. Smith apparently has a big name in his corner. President Donald Trump said he’d support the ESPN personality if he chose to run for election.

Trump called in to NewsNation for an interview with Smith, Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly as part of Cuomo Townhall and vouched his support for Smith. He said he’d “love to see him run” when asked about the possibility.

Trump pointed out qualities that stand out about Smith, the face of ESPN’s First Take who recently agreed to a lucrative contract extension. He also noted his record of “picking candidates.”

Donald Trump just said he wants Stephen A Smith to run for president pic.twitter.com/J2QiRQlcYg

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“Stephen A., he’s a good guy,” Trump said. “He’s a smart guy. I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him.

“You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say, ‘They have no chance.’ I’ve been pretty good at picking people, and picking candidates. And I will tell you, I’d love to see him run.”

Smith previously said he didn’t plan on running in the 2028 election, but admitted his confidence he’d win if he chose to do so. However, he changed his tune last month, saying he is “not going to rule it out” when asked about the possibility of running for office.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve had no choice but to get more serious about it,” Smith said during the NAB show in Las Vegas, via Barrett Media. “I’ve been approached by people on Capitol Hill. I’ve been approached by people who are elected officials in office, whether it’s governors or mayors or what have you. People have legitimately, seriously, asked me about it.

“I have no desire to be a politician, but I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to close that door. I’m gonna keep my options open. I’m going to entertain the possibility. If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it’s an absolute mess and there’s legitimate reason to believe … that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States. I am not going to rule it out.”

Stephen A. Smith is a registered independent, according to The Hill, and previously showed support for former Vice President Kamala Harris. However, he appears to have Donald Trump in his corner should he opt to run in the 2028 election.